The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 85

R12 FRIDAY, MAY 23, 2003 Sports THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR WWW.INDYSAR.COM RACE DAY PREVIEW 7 i I ifRiMiiigpMAf I Submittal photo Submitted photo last time: Driver George Mason (right) completed No luck: Louis Schneider (left) applied for eral times, but the Speedway would not issit it. 66 laps and finished 23rd in the 1914 Indy 500. Ray bucks tradition with 13 LfeOSXi jf Mm) MORE Vl'iltiJill UUmI -vr vnfi: GRAND It's been nearly 90 years since a car with the number has started in the field for the 500. By Donald Davidson Star correspondent The car Greg Ray has qualified for Sunday's Indianapolis 500 will bear the number 13, marking the first time in 89 years that number will be in the race. In 1914, George Mason carried 13.

There were five other years in which the number appeared on the entry list, but on at least three of those occasions, the car never arrived at the track Between 1926 and this year, the number wasn't even issued. When members of Ray's Access Motorsports team requested 13 in March, Indy Racing League officials called back to make sure the request was serious. It had been the policy of the United States Auto Club, the sanctioning body of the 500 between 1956 and 1997, not to issue the number, just as it had been the policy of the Contest Board of the American Automobile Association (AAA) from 1926-55. But IRL officials permitted Ray to use the number, well aware of the superstition that has long held 13 to be unlucky. A No.

13 was entered for the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911 but, the car never arrived. It was assigned to one of the two entries by the F.A.L. Motor Co. of Chicago, which were withdrawn when they could not get the proper gears manufactured in time. Of the 46 entries for the inaugural 500, only two were no-shows and those were the Falcars.

Things went a little better in nil Allb nirk rhp vphirlp, of rhpir rhnirp: try Ay a2l2) One 000 and four $500 per drawing. raise during World War I. Eight years passed before lumber 13 emerged again, unde bizarre circumstances. In Mardi of 1922, an envelope arrived al the Speedway offices bearing the postmark of Hollywood, Calt Inside was an entry for a Dusen-berg Special to be driven tv its owner, actor Wallace Reid, stir of numerous silent romantic and swashbuckling epics, incluling several racing films. Only days later came the vith-drawal.

Either Lasky Stuuos, Reid's employer, or his insurmce company or both objectd to his participation. How he mght have fared even if allowei to drive or just who his riding mechanic might have been, can nly be imagined. Reid lived only a short wiile longer, becoming addicted; to morphine after an accident wiile making a film. He died in a sini-tarium on Jan. 18, 1923.

1 A No. 13 was entered agau in 1923 although it is unclear as to whether or not this particular made it to the track. Louis and Arthur Chevroltt's four-car team of Frontenac Specials had fallen on hard financial times. Herbert Scheel of St Lous underwrote the team in return br driving one of the cars himstlf. Scheel chose number 13.

i In that era, cars arrived at tie track and drivers began practicing before going through the formd-ity of painting on a number. By tie time qualifications rolled aroiud in 1923, the continuous breakhg of connecting rods led to the ui-numbered Scheel-Frontenacs jl-ready being withdrawn. Martin Kessler of Kess-line Motors of Detroit was next to toke a shot in 1924. His No. 13 Kfess-Line Special was to be drivel by Tom Alley of Metamora, Ind.

But the car was not completed in time to be shipped. A year later, they tried again. This time Alley made it on the track. He was warming up for a last-ditch qualifying attempt on the evening before the race vhen a rocker arm broke. The No.

13 was no longer issued after that although Louis Schneider, the headstrong locally raised winner of the 1931 race, applied for it more than once in the early 1930s. In 1933, after having been turned down again, Schneider tried to force the issue by showing up with the number painted on the car. After incurring the wrath of the Speedway management, he changed to 22. Schneider started the race, his last before being permanently suspended from 500 competition, and immediately had a mechanical problem. He pulled into the infield on turn one of the first lap.

And that was it for No. 13. Until now. Donald Davidson is the Indianapolis 500 historian. 1 Matt Kryger The Star Not superstitious: Greg Ray's car will carry the No.

13, the first time since 1914 that a car has used the number in the 500. 1914 when a Mason Special showed up from Waterloo, Iowa. George Mason, son of the Mason Motor president, qualified the car. It was engineered by the German-born brothers, Fred and Au-gie Duesenberg, who had already left to start their own company. The car trotted along for 66 laps until a piston broke.

Mason did not return to race, losing his life four years later while volunteering with the Red Cross in France $500 prize awarded at 9 am, 1 1 am, I pm and 3 pm. Mutt be 21 or older and a FREfe Players Advantage C1uJm membership ts required. Once a vehicle has been picked, tt may not be selected again. Need not be present to win 5 pm prizes. Must be present to win Early Bird prtzes.See Ptayers Club for complete rules.

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